- Gustav Forsling ended a scoreless opener with 4.3 seconds left in overtime
- Jacob Markstrom posted a shutout in his first game back with Florida
- Read below for the overtime winner video and what Paul Maurice and Rod Brind’Amour said
The Hurricanes got their banner. The Panthers got the two points.
Gustav Forsling hammered a one-timer past Brandon Bussi with 4.3 seconds left in overtime Tuesday, giving Florida a 1-0 win in Raleigh on the same night Carolina raised its Stanley Cup banner.
With a shootout seconds away, Carter Verhaeghe carried the puck into the zone and dropped it back to Forsling just inside the blue line. The Swedish defenseman didn’t hesitate, and the shot beat Bussi glove side.
Watch the overtime winner:
Forsling talked afterward about the feel of the game, per Panthers reporter Jameson Olive:
That tracks. Neither team scored for nearly 65 minutes. The two clubs combined for 13 power plays in regulation, and both penalty kills were perfect. Florida went 0-for-7 with the man advantage while killing off all six Carolina chances.
Paul Maurice was asked if he wants to see Forsling fire that shot more often. The Panthers coach said nobody’s holding him back.
“We’re not putting the handcuffs on him. He can unleash that anytime he wants, but he’s a smart player and he doesn’t like to get shots blocked,” Maurice said. “He played an incredible game, a strong game, and then he can still get up the ice at the end and unleash that. So, we’re very fortunate to have him.”
Check out Maurice’s full postgame presser:
Jacob Markstrom made 15 saves for the shutout in his first regular-season game back with the Panthers since 2013-14. Florida drafted him 31st overall in 2008 and reacquired him from New Jersey on June 30.
Maurice liked how the veteran handled a long, quiet night that included a lengthy pregame ceremony and a Carolina 5-on-3 that lasted nearly two minutes. “He handled it like a veteran,” Maurice said.
Aleksander Barkov played 20:32 in his return after missing all of last season with a knee injury. Brady Tkachuk logged 16:33 with one shot in his Panthers debut.
Over on the other bench, Rod Brind’Amour didn’t pretend it was pretty. He admitted it “wasn’t a very good game to watch” and blamed plenty of it on early-season rust.
Brind’Amour was also asked about Bussi, who made 19 saves before the late blast got through. “Yeah, he’s going to want that one back,” he said. “But, you know, he’s the reason we got the point.”
Here’s Brind’Amour’s postgame scrum:
It was a rough end to a big night in Raleigh, which also featured Nic Deslauriers dropping the gloves with Boko Imama. Florida has now won three straight season openers and posted its first opening-night shutout since 2005-06.
Next up, Florida visits San Jose on Thursday while Carolina hosts Washington on Friday.
